This article was inspired by an email I received. The author, who will remain anonymous, was “putting down” many retirement communities.

Depending on what is important to you, you may find the following destinations to be some of the worst places to retire or you may not! (My opinions are in the parenthese.) Keep in mind everyone has different wants and needs and expectations.

Clearwater City, Florida:  Large senior citizen population (Personally I see nothing wrong with that!)

Austin, Texas: Hard Time Getting a Doctor who Takes Medicare (I don’t know why.)

Anchorage, Alaska: Fewest Fellow Seniors (Brrrrr!!)

Bridgeport, Connecticut: Highest Taxes.

Wisconsin: The 2005 Bloomberg Wealth Manager rated Wisconsin the worst state for retirees, saying they pay on average $17,528 in property, income and sales taxes. (Yikes! There goes a huge amount of our income for the year!)

New Jersey:  Llocal property taxes average $1,871 (ranks low for retirees.)

Washington, DC: Most poor Seniors (and high cost of living!!! – great place to visit – but live there??? Especially in retirement??? Nope! Sort of like New Orleans – for Dick and I, as I report in my book, Retire In Luxury, we loved living there where the job checks were coming in, and we love visiting there now, but live there? No, No…)

Rhode Island: Least Older Men (Here, I am reminded of the “Casserole Brigade” in one retirement community. Dick was talking to a recently widowed gentleman at a gathering we were at and he was filling Dick in on the phenomenon that happens upon a wife’s death – the casserole brigade appears delivering casseroles in droves. This particular gentleman had no interest in “things in a dish that were unrecognizable”…and kept his trash full and the dishwasher busy just disposing of the “food”. Gals – take note…maybe an invitation for lunch at a nearby restaurant would be appropriate.)

Provo, Utah: Most Youthful Population (Dick and I recently spent some time in Utah – a unique state – full of wonderful, breathtaking scenery.)

Queens, New York: Violence and the Boulevard of Death (Oh dear…well, so much for New York! Think taxes may be a bit high there too!)

Your Kid’s House: (Well, as a last resort, maybe.)

A lot of people have asked me about getting Medicare in Mexico.

As it stands today, Medicare does not cover health care for Americans outside of the United States, except under these conditions:

1. The beneficiary is a border resident who requires hospitalization and the Canadian or Mexican hospital is either closer to the beneficiary’s home than the participating U.S. hospital or when the Mexican or Canadian hospital offers covered services which the U.S. hospital does not.

2. The beneficiary is not a border resident, but the emergency occurs in the United States and a Mexican hospital is in closer proximity. 

In both instances, Medicare pays for physician and ambulance services furnished in Mexico in conjunction with a covered inpatient stay.

This lack of coverage affects residents, tourists, short-term visitors, and people who choose to live in Mexico.  Fortunately, the “per incident” cost of health care is very affordable. In fact it’s so affordable that many “gringos” don’t have health insurance and simply pay per incident:

• Private room in a hospital, $50 per day
• Exam and consultation with a specialist, $15
• Ultrasound or X-ray , $15
• Oral surgery, $50 per tooth
• Porcelain filling, $30 each.
• Teeth cleaning, $25
• Emergency room treatment, $15
• Exploratory abdominal surgery and appendectomy using video laporoscopy.
• Four-day hospital stay in a private room, all fees of the surgeon and the anesthesiologist, and medication. $1,200.

You may also be eligible for Mexico’s universal health care program:

The National Health Care Program, IMSS:

1. Available in most major cities.

2. Takes about 6 to 9 months for coverage to be activated after acceptance. Once accepted, you are a life member as long as premiums are paid.

3. At IMSS clinics you do not have a choice of physicians. 

Available in Mexico:

1. Small clinics with general practitioner who is qualified to handle minor illnesses and injuries.

2. Small hospitals with surgeons, internists and pediatricians.

3. Large intensive-care facilities with various specialists.

The general requirements for joining the IMSS program are:

 1. You will be asked to complete a questionnaire, with the assistance of a doctor.

2. Submit to a basic medical examination which includes checking your blood pressure and listening to your heart. Other tests may be requested. The cost of the health care coverage is approximately $250.00 U.S. per year. You may apply only in January, February, July and August.  This program is open to all foreigners regardless of nationality and/or immigration status. Medical care in Mexico…… is unbelievably inexpensive by almost anyone’s standards. Of course prices vary according to the region and whether you go to a private clinic or a government run facility.